Jill killer's appeal 'a waste of money' – husband

THE husband of slain woman Jill Meagher has criticised Australia's legal system for allowing her killer to "waste" taxpayers' money in a cynical ploy to reduce his 35-year sentence for her brutal rape and murder.

THE husband of slain woman Jill Meagher has criticised Australia's legal system for allowing her killer to "waste" taxpayers' money in a cynical ploy to reduce his 35-year sentence for her brutal rape and murder.

Tom Meagher (pictured with Jill) made the comments after an Australian appeal court took less than 10 minutes to dismiss the appeal by serial sex offender Adrian Bayley against the length of his 35-year, non-parole sentence for raping and killing the 29-year-old radio journalist.

Bayley's lawyer had argued that the trial judge had erred by stating that the convicted serial rapist had derived a "perverse pleasure" by raping and killing her after abducting her as she was walking home, following a night out with colleagues on September 22, 2012.

Her heartbroken husband, who returned home to Ireland to be with his family during the first anniversary of her death last week, said Australian taxpayers' money would be better spent fixing the justice system that let the serial rapist out of prison in the first place.

It emerged that Bayley was on parole for raping five prostitutes when he snatched Ms Meagher off the streets of a Melbourne suburb.

"There is no deterrent for these lifers not to appeal, and no punishment for further stretching the tight budgets of the system.

"Perhaps if they added years on to his sentence, these scumbags would think twice."

Ms Meagher's uncle Michael McKeon said that while the family wasn't surprised by the appeal bid, they are happy with the outcome.